Damage and wear and tear to valves can lead to a plethora of problems, which is why it is important to have healthy check valves. This requires proper maintenance and known when to repair or replace a valve. As experienced check valve manufacturers in India, we give you an easy guide on valve maintenance.
Check Valve Manufacturers' Steps To Maintenance
Like any other mechanical part, check valves need routine maintenance. Inspecting them periodically guarantees that they keep working in the proper order. So, follow a carefully planned schedule that includes these steps:
- Regularly inspect the check valve to spot any potentially expensive repairs before they become a major problem. For example, ensuring the temperature and pressure of the fluid is within limits. It would be best if you also kept an eye out for:
- Make sure you document the valve's condition for future reference.
- Keep the check valve clean with a towel to remove any dirt or dust. For caked debris, you should use a wire brush.
- You may need to take the valve out at times to look for jammed debris. In that case, wash all the parts with the fluid used in your system.
- At this point, examine the seating surface and base metal components.
- Make sure the valve is lubricated well because this will put off expensive replacement or repairs while making them last longer. Use the right lubricant for your pipe system; using an incorrect one will do more harm than help. For instance, a clay-based lubricant often leaves a residue. Lastly, rotate the valve to ensure the lubricant enters the cavity of the valve.
- If the check valve is in an environment with extreme temperatures like outside, apply insulation. It protects the valve and prevents damage. Always remember to inspect the insulation routinely and change it when required.
- Finally, always replace any part of the check valve that has sustained too much wear and tear as soon as it is discovered.
When To Repair And When To Replace Check Valves In India?
As every year passes, maintenance budgets are shrinking, and outage windows are barely tolerated. Unfortunately, this has made the job of maintenance teams tougher, and any indecision on whether to replace or repair a valve can end up being exorbitant.
However, replacing a whole valve without even thinking of repairing it is not an option because complete replacement is expensive for several reasons:
• Valves don't come cheap.
• There is a long lead time.
• Removing the current valve and installing a new one adds further costs since it necessitates a rigging plan by civil engineers, restraint system and safe removal.
• Once replaced, the process requires quality control examination like post-weld heat treatment.
Let's assume as you are inspecting a check valve, you discover a damaged seat in a high-pressure fluid system. You decide that successfully repairing the valve is too challenging because the valve throat, which is generally set at 30 degrees, is too narrow. Repairing the valve using generic tools or machines is almost impossible.
Therefore, you let the system limp by until a new valve arrives at the plant. This decision eats into productivity because a damaged valve functions less than usual. Moreover, you have to plan for an outage when the new valve is installed.
The problem here is the lack of proper equipment to repair the damage. If that is the case, ask a valve manufacturer for custom tooling. They will provide you with the equipment as well as the technique to reliably and cost-effectively repair the damage. The repair process used in such instances includes the following steps:
• Document the existing condition and write down the dimensions.
• Conduct LPT (liquid penetrant testing) on the current seating.
• Remove the existing seat with a machine.
• Conduct another LPT on the valve body.
• Make any needed repairs on the body.
• Install the new seating surface as per specification.
• Conduct one last LPT of the new seat.
• Reassemble the valve and check the seating has full contact.
Specialised tooling along with this technique enables a business to perform repairs and successfully replace check valve seats in any size, from 12-inch NPS to 50-inch NPS. And this is possible without spending a huge amount of money and time that a full valve replacement demands.
Conclusion:
Repairing check valves now prevents a substantial amount of headaches later and saves you from making a costly mistake. But an even better business decision to maintain them. That's the easiest and cheapest way to prevent even repairs.
Use the step by step guide to keep your check valves in working order, and if you need to replace a part or buy new check valves, get in touch. We are expert Industrial Valve Manufacturers in India and can help you find the right type of valve for your system and application!
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